5th May 2006, 11:49

All of you have no idea what you are talking about, I also own a Bronco from that era and I agree with the survey writer. All they are good for is pulling. Yes it was to be expected to throw a bearing and brake replacement, but this is not a quality vehicle. Obviously no one hear has ever owned one. '80's Fords are trouble. If you want a better SUV from this era I suggest buying a Dodge Ramcharger.

22nd Jul 2006, 22:24

$450 a month for a car payment? What did you buy, a Porsche? Anyways, my 1983 Bronco has been through one winter with salt on the roads and it already has holes in a body that was perfect the year before. Terrible drivability with the granny tranny as well. If you have never driven this kind of vehicle, then don't write a comment.

23rd Jul 2006, 12:30

Yes, take a look at what car payments are. $450 is cheap when buying an SUV anymore. Just think, with 0% financing $500/month is a $30,000 5-year loan. $30,000 is right in the ballpark of what Jeep Grand Cherokees, Chevy Silverados, and Dodge 1500 or 2500 pickups are going for, at least when not doing the Employee Pricing discounts. And for "only" $30,000 or $500/month, you won't even touch a Dodge Rumble Bee pickup, or a GMC Denali, or Suburban. Even a fully loaded Chevy S-10 will be pushing $500/month, and a Jeep Rubicon is more than that. About the only cheaper, decent SUVs are the Jeep Wranglers or the Jeep Liberty. Even the Korean stuff like the Kia Sedona can be pushing $26,000. Cars cost a helluva lot more than people realize. If you think $450 is a lot, you wouldn't even be allowed in a Porsche showroom. The manager would probably call security to have you thrown out.

I would agree that for the 1980's, you're much better off buying a Dodge Ramcharger. An '80s Ramcharger has lots of life left in it even at 175,000 miles. Still, buying any vehicle with that many miles, including this beat up old Bronco, a person doesn't have much room to complain about things going wrong. And that includes rust holes developing on a 23-year-old truck after driving it through the winter. Old vehicles can definitely be a bargain if you're willing to fix a few things, but you have to keep things in perspective and not have unrealistic expectations.

6th Mar 2007, 19:13

I wrote this review. Yeah there is such a thing as being nickeled and dimed to death. Like when the running repair total is topping 8 grand. Ever look at what the resale is on these? Try selling a 25 year old Bronco that gets 10 mpg (in the winter its 8) in this day and age. Thank god I only got it for $1200. So if you have never driven a vehicle like this you have no right to criticize. For all the people complaining about $500 dollar car payments, go buy an '82 bronco, you'll be happy to send out that check every month.

7th Mar 2007, 05:17

Yeah, $8,000 is a lot to spend on an old truck, but it depends on the time that it took you to spend it. If you spent $8,000 over a 10 year period, that isn't bad at all. Even if you spent that over five years, that's $133/month. Compare that to the $450-500 monthly car payment, and you're still far ahead. I mean, would you be willing to put up with driving junk for five years if it saved you $22,000?

On a vehicle this old and beat up, you can't really think in terms of resale value. According to blue book it has virtually no value. That isn't exactly true, because it has value as long as it continues running and serves its function in getting you around, and helps you avoid making a car payment. Selling isn't really an option, so you either drive it into the ground or outright junk it. On the other hand, if you spent that $8,000 in one or two years, then you definitely should have seen the writing on the wall and pulled the plug a lot sooner. Even if you did spend that $8,000 in two years, you're still several thousand dollars ahead compared to making two years worth of car payments.

8th Mar 2007, 05:23

Granted, but what kind of truck can you get for $249/month? Something used, so there's a good chance it will need repairs, anyway. $8,000 in maintenance is a lot in two years, but is cheaper than making a $500/month payment. I would dump a vehicle that was such a basket case as to need so much repair long before it hit $8,000.

Of course, we don't know how long it took him to spend that. It's a trade-off. For people with some mechanical knowledge, you can save a lot of money driving an old beater if you're willing to fix things yourself and can deal with some inconvenience. It's not for everybody, though.

It's the eternal question: how much do you have to spend to guarantee reliability? Sadly, a new car even at $35,000 doesn't necessarily guarantee that.

19th Apr 2007, 10:19

My 1981 Bronco is a great vehicle it does amazing off road, and has enough power with its 302 to do what I need it to crawling. The interior is falling apart a bit, but after 26 years what do you expect. My bronco has been a dream granted it is not an every day driver, but it is a great off road machine and does well in the snow. Living in Wyoming I need all of this so my bronco is wonderful.

12th Sep 2007, 22:53

Perhaps you should NOT own a older truck. They take time and money. I have a 49 F-1, 81 F-100 and a 82 Bronco. All are time consuming, but I enjoy working on them. My 49 is a project that has taken 5 years and over 10 thousand in parts. It is not a daily driver, it is a hobby. You can't expect it to run like a new truck. If you want fuel mileage buy a Volkswagen.

9th Oct 2007, 20:23

They are pretty decent once you replace everything. Once you do that everything is new and nothing will break for awhile. Then its golden, but it's a painful road to go down. 8 grand is a hell of a lot considering the vehicle was maybe 10-12,000 new.